Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-01
OUR LANSING LETTER.
Various Matters of interest to the
Public,
AndLegisiatiye summary

The senate has passed hill TO pay
Marion Robert on widow OF the late
Adj ten. ROBERTSON, the salary which
would have accrued 10 him had he lived
and fulfilled his term of Office. The bill was
substituted for one originally introduced
for another purpose
The house committee OF the whole has
agreed to the bill placing the Northern
asy ium for the insane at Traverse City
under the medical management of "a
homeopathic physician and staff.
The bill providing for the further decora-
ton OF the capitol came up for consdera.
ton the other dav. proviso excluding
foreign contractors caused considerable
debate which at times became not only an
mated but decidedly personal in its charac-
ter. The proviso was retained by vote of
10 to 9.
The senate has adopted concurrent
resolution Tor al ournment from W ednes-
day, 30th inst until April q. This changes
the former date and lengthens the time of
adjournment.
The senate has passed the bill TO provide
for the incorporation of building and loan
societies The bill hsd already passed the
house These corporations loan money 70
shareholders TO assist them in building
homes, and the loan Is repaid on the Install
ment plan Ii is an adoption of the CO.
operative plan of building.
The senate has passed the bill making
compulsory education apply to children
from to IA years of age, and increasing
the rescribed school term from four to
six months annually.
The bill TO allow the state agricultural
! society TO permanently locate the state
fair has been favorably reported TO the
( house This is the jackson scheme and it
Is likely TO get black eye in the house.
The bill TO establish the death penalty
for murder failed TO pass in the house,
! lacking one of the necessary constitutions
AL vote. The matter was reconsdered and
the till was LAID upon the table, To be taken
up again at more favorable time.
The age Of Consent bill" wa, discussed
/ in the house very ably 10y Repre-
! Baker and Mchle OF Berrlen, HerrlngtOn
/ of Oakland, and Ashton OF Traverse. in
favor OF IA years. and Diekema of OTTAWA,
! and Hosiord OF Wavuc, IN favor OF Ii
years. The significant vote was IN the
/ amendment making the age ii. The vote
standing ayes, 40; nays. 81
senator Crosby's bin 10 reconstruct the
delin .uent tax laws hy establishing the
/ county stem viii come after the dlourn-
meut over election. Mr. Crosby is dill
entity at Work. collecting figures IN sup
port OF his measure. lie has made
search of the county records of all cOun-
tea tedious task, requiring deal of
h-urIng and nnumerable references, and
has bulated the whole delln Iuent tax
last Tor l,Nj These figures show that the
total OF delln uent state taxes of $50 in
all the counties of the state Is SO, 1853. 81.
or this total amount the county treasur
er~ collected Sjl,al3,us. and the amount
collected 10y the audltOr-gcneral was only
Sli,l15@4. Against this small collection
which /, Of course incidental to the main
business OF the Office, the eIpen OF clerk
hire, postage charges, advertising, etc, as
expenses OF the auditor general Office for
the current year, with the adj ertlsing
charges taken out i si9,5,5. =.
An effort is being made 10 pass such a
hlll a. Will make the Detroit mouse Of cor
recton vast penal institution. one bil
which has already passed both houses,
provides Tor sending female prisoners,
heretofore sent To- county lalls. To the De-
trolt house of correction. This law is ap.
plCuble mainly to keepers and innate of
mousse, of lu-iamc. 10 are sent for short
terms. IN viii hereafter bee shipped
from every couuty ln the state TO Detroit
and, after brlct imprisonment, be
turned adr.it ln the city TO swell the al
ready large list Of abandoned creatures.
Another bill which is under consideration
provide: That any court of criminal
jurisdiction iu TINS state hall have power
IN the di,, retiou OF the court, TO sentence
any male person. convicted for the first
time OF any Oleuse. murder and treason
excepted punishable 10y Imprisonment in
the state prison, 10 imprisonment in the
] etroit house OF correction. instead of
the state prison, and every such person
50 sentenced shall be received into the
mouse OF rrectlon. and shall he kept and
employed therein in the manner prescribed
10y law and shall be subject to the rules
and discipline OF the house of correction.
FRO ,ded. That no ch rye against any
county nor the state han he allowed for
the maintenance OF persons sentenced TO
said hou e Of correction BY the passage
of this bll the Detroit house of correction
would be placed side by side with the tate
prison at jackson. and would be likely TO
soon pass the state prison in magnitude.
The Till gives all criminal courts power 10
send prisoners 10 Detroit when convicted
IF a first ofiense. As about three-fourths
of all criminal convictions are for first
offenses, the law would apply TO 20 per
cent of all persons sentenced
The governor has signed the bills pro.
hibting saloons within one mile of the
soldiers home; and authorizing supervis-
ors TO purchase cemeteries of burial places
for deceased soldiers.
The bill OF Representative Oviatt for the
publication in at least one newspaper of
the county of the proceedings of boards
OF supervi ors directly after the sessions
close came up in the senate a fews ago
Senator Hubbell objected TO the measure;
Senator Mayo proposed an amendment
making il optional with I q supervisors.
L csc two members were down upon the
Till. Senator Palmer showed that il wasa
measure in the interest of the people and
had mu merit in il. Senator Pos. said
that the change was very slight from the
xi,ting law-only that it required publ
cation at each session of the board. The
law now requires publication at the close
Of the annual sessions. Senator Gliding
maze good impression by remark in the
same line saying that the publication was
made in his county in three and some
times in four newspapers, frequently at
loss TO the publi-hers. Senator Holbrook
thought the bill should go further and pro
vide for the publication in pamphlet form.
The amendment o. Mr.. Mayo was rejected
aud the committee agreed to the bill. 1t
has already passed the house.
The bill of Senator Post providing for
indeterminate sentences of criminals, and
also for the management and release of
prisoners under sentence, by system of
paroles something like the English ticket
of-ietve has been killed 10y the senate. all
after the enacting clause having been
stricken out. IL met with but little favor.
Senator Moon thought 10 impossible.
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